Ariel Barber sighed to herself. She knew it was a lost cause. Her friends could spout reason to her all they wanted. It was completely and utterly hopeless.

She was in love…
With someone who would never love her back.

The almost-junior knew it. She was always told she had her father’s practicality. It was a fact the dark-haired girl took pride in. However, she currently wished she could be more like her optimistic mother and younger brother, Nick.
No matter how hopeless she thought it was, she just couldn’t close her blue-green eyes and forget him. She wished she could. She wasn’t sure how much longer she could stand this pain of being away from him.
He only lived about two blocks away. It’s not like he didn’t know where she lived. Not to mention, he knew she needed to watch Nick and help her mom out during the summer.
Why didn’t he see how much this was killing her? She was his friend, at least. He could come to hang out at least once. Just make sure she was alive!
Ariel groaned as she stopped pacing her room and flopped onto her bed pressing her face into her pillows.

Christine Barber watched her sixteen-year-old daughter’s dilemma with humor in her matching eyes. The actress-turned-teacher knew the girl’s frustrated movements well.
Christine knocked on the door, knowing better than to barge into a teenager’s room, for fear of one’s life. After hearing muffled sounds of acknowledgement from the pillows, she entered and shut the door. Her husband and son shouldn’t intrude. This was a moment for girl-talk.
“Okay, honey. What’s wrong?” The woman in her late forties addressed the face-down teen. Ariel then flipped onto her back and looked at her mom.
“Ma, I just realized something. Eric will never think of me as more than his friend who he’s stuck with all the time,” Christine’s eyes glinted as her daughter began her rant, “I mean, besides music and art, we have nothing in common. Not to mention that he hasn’t come to even see me once this summer. It’s not like we live in Siberia or something! He’s never even shown any inclination that he liked me as anything more than a friend. I’m so pathetic.” She finished off the rant spectacularly by flipping back over and trying to suffocate herself. Christine just sat down on the edge of the bed and began to gently rub Ariel’s back.
“I felt this exact same way before. In fact, I think I was only a little younger than you. About fifteen, if I recall.” This made Ariel turn to look at her mother.
“How did you get over him?” She asked, sniffling. She felt on the edge of tears.
“I never did.” Christine smiled gently down at her daughter.
“Does Dad know about this guy?” Ariel demanded, making Christine laugh.
“I hope he would. He’s the one I was pining away for.” Christine laughed.
“No way! How did you get him to finally notice?” Ariel smiled. This little talk was starting to cheer her up.
“I just had to give him time to grow up. He had to notice me. We were in these clubs together, in a class together, and even lived on the same street. We had no choice but to be together. That’s how I came to understand and love him. I knew that if I just waited, he’d come to that same conclusion.” Christine smiled at her daughter and gave her a hug, “Just be patient, sweetie. He’ll come around. He’s not a dumb boy. You going to be alright?” As Ariel nodded, they both stood up and headed to the door.
When Christine opened the door, though, there was quite a shock in store.
“DAD!!!”
“JACOB!!!”
Jacob Barber had been listening at the keyhole, and had fallen backwards when the door opened. His dark brown hair fell forward into his mischievous brown eyes as he looked up at his wife and daughter.
“I told you not to, Dad!” Ten-year-old Nickolas Barber called up to his dad from his chair in the living room.
Ariel flew back into her room, mortified that her father had heard her talking about her crush. Christine just stood there, looking reprovingly down at her husband. He tried to look as sheepish as possible, but to no avail. Finally, she cracked a smile and bent over to help him up. When he was finally standing, Jacob looked down at his wife (being a good half a foot taller than her.)
“Did you really only fall for me after being stuck with me for a year?” His mischievous eyes had turned inquisitive.
“Well, you had acted like quite a prat when I met you, Dear.” She grinned at him before leaning up to kiss him.
“EWWWW!!!!!!!!!!” Called Nick from downstairs.